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How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 12/6/2024Governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform have called on the Party’s National Working Committee to organise a meeting of the Party’s National Executive Committee by the first week of February at the latest. Naija News recalls that the NWC has continued to postpone the NEC, expected to discuss some issues bedevilling the Party and present a substantive National Chairman of the Party who will take over from Umar Damagum and complete the tenure of the suspended Iyorchia Ayu. The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who is also the chairman of the Forum, in a communique read to journalists on Saturday, said the meeting will allow elaborate consultations with critical stakeholders of the Party. He said, “The Forum notes the concerns of Nigerians, PDP founding fathers, elders and members of our great Party of seeming divisions within the ranks and files. “The Forum wishes to state categorically that it remains resolute in its determination to ensure unity and cohesion of this great Party that Nigerians have come to trust as the best platform for democratic governance. “The Forum is constrained to accept the latest postponement of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Party in empathy with our colleague, Governor Umo Eno whose late dear wife will be buried on the same day earlier scheduled for NEC. “The Forum is strongly advising the NWC to call NEC latest by the first week of February 2025 to allow for elaborate consultations with critical stakeholders of the Party. The period between November and February is to address the existential problems confronting the Party, with a deliberate timeline of activities within the period under review to address issues of leadership and litigations confronting the Party.” Mohammed also said the Forum empathized with Nigerians who are “groaning under the oppressive economic hardship foisted on the nation by the policies and decisions of the APC-led Federal Government.” Mohammed also called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently review macroeconomic and fiscal policies that will address the welfare and well-being of Nigerians. The Forum added that “all PDP Governors will continue to aggressively pursue policies and programs that will reduce the hardship and ensure progress and development.” They also lamented about the Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections won by the APC and asked the judiciary to save the country’s democracy.
US STOCKS-Wall Street closes up in short Christmas Eve sessionCopa Libertadores final star sent off for violent kick to head in first minute
UnitedHealth Group Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitorsThe death toll in a Brazilian bridge collapse that occurred on the weekend rose to four on Tuesday, with the search for another 13 people missing made perilous by trucks with tons of acid falling into the water, officials said. Three trucks — two carrying sulfuric acid and one carrying pesticides — were among eight vehicles carried down into the Tocantins River when the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge collapsed on Sunday. Those heavy vehicles were transporting a total of “22,000 liters (5,800 gallons) of agricultural pesticides and 76 tons sulfuric acid, a corrosive chemical product,” Brazil’s National Water Agency said. It was not yet known if the acid had seeped out of the trucks and into the river. Water analyses were being carried out. In the meantime, rescuers were operating cautiously, using boats and not sending in any divers. River water supplies to nearby communities were also suspended. The fire service attending the scene said four bodies had been recovered, including the woman driver of one of the acid-transporting trucks, and an 11-year-old girl. On Sunday, a 36-year-old man was rescued alive. The bridge, built in the 1960s and more than half a kilometer (1,600 feet) long, was the main link between Brazil’s states of Tocantins and Maranhao. The causes of the collapse were being investigated, but initial indications were that the bridge’s central beam gave way. The day before the collapse, a local man had published an online video showing visible cracks in the bridge and warning that there was imminent danger. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday promised on the X social media platform that his federal government would provide all necessary aid in the rescue operation and the investigation. The collapse came on top of two other deadly transport accidents in Brazil over the weekend. The country’s worst highway accident in 17 years happened on Saturday when a bus crashed and caught on fire, killing 41 people in the southeast state of Minas Gerais. On Sunday, a private plane crashed into the city of Gramado in south Brazil, killing a family of 10 on board.None
WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 6, 2024-- Vicarious Surgical Inc. (“Vicarious Surgical” or the “Company”) (NYSE: RBOT, RBOT WS), a next-generation robotics technology company seeking to improve lives by transforming robotic surgery, today announced the pending departure of William Kelly, its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), to pursue other career opportunities, after nearly four years of dedicated service with the Company. Mr. Kelly has served as Vicarious Surgical’s CFO since January 2021. He will assist the Company to ensure minimal disruption and a successful transition of responsibilities prior to his departure, which is slated for January 2, 2025. “On behalf of the Company and Board, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Bill for his significant contribution over the last few years,” said Adam Sachs, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Bill has been an incredible asset to Vicarious Surgical, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” Mr. Kelly added “My tenure at Vicarious Surgical has been a period of significant progress and accomplishment, both for the Company and for me personally. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded and the collaborative spirit of the entire team. I depart with immense pride in our collective achievements and unwavering confidence in the Company's continued success under its strong leadership.” The Company has initiated a CFO succession process and will provide updates as appropriate. About Vicarious Surgical Founded in 2014, Vicarious Surgical is a next generation robotics company, developing a unique disruptive technology with the multiple goals of substantially increasing the efficiency of surgical procedures, improving patient outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. The Company’s novel surgical approach uses proprietary human-like surgical robots to virtually transport surgeons inside the patient to perform minimally invasive surgery. The Company is led by an experienced team of technologists, medical device professionals and physicians, and is backed by technology luminaries including Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla’s Khosla Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, Jerry Yang’s AME Cloud Ventures, Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd and Philip Liang’s E15 VC. The Company is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.vicarioussurgical.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company’s actual results may differ from its expectations, estimates, and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein, are forward-looking statements that reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside Vicarious Surgical’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the ability to maintain the listing of Vicarious Surgical’s Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange; the approval, commercialization and adoption of Vicarious Surgical’s initial product candidates and the success of its single-port surgical robot, called the Vicarious Surgical System, and any of its future product candidates and service offerings; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the ability of Vicarious Surgical to raise financing in the future; the success, cost and timing of Vicarious Surgical’s product and service development activities; the potential attributes and benefits of Vicarious Surgical’s product candidates and services; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for the Vicarious Surgical System, and any related restrictions and limitations of any approved product; the size and duration of human clinical trials for the Vicarious Surgical System; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to identify, in-license or acquire additional technology; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to maintain its existing license, manufacture, supply and distribution agreements; Vicarious Surgical’s ability to compete with other companies currently marketing or engaged in the development of products and services that Vicarious Surgical is currently marketing or developing; the size and growth potential of the markets for Vicarious Surgical’s product candidates and services, and its ability to serve those markets, either alone or in partnership with others; the pricing of Vicarious Surgical’s product candidates and services and reimbursement for medical procedures conducted using its product candidates and services; the company’s estimates regarding expenses, revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; Vicarious Surgical’s financial performance; economic downturns, political and market conditions and their potential to adversely affect Vicarious Surgical’s business, financial condition and results of operations; Vicarious Surgical’s intellectual property rights and its ability to protect or enforce those rights, and the impact on its business, results and financial condition if it is unsuccessful in doing so; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in Vicarious Surgical’s filings with the SEC. Vicarious Surgical cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Vicarious Surgical does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206242926/en/ CONTACT: Investors Kaitlyn Brosco Vicarious Surgical Kbrosco@vicarioussurgical.com Media Inquiries media@vicarioussurgical.com KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL SUPPLIES TECHNOLOGY OTHER HEALTH HEALTH ROBOTICS HEALTH TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY MEDICAL DEVICES HOSPITALS SURGERY HARDWARE SOURCE: Vicarious Surgical Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/06/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/06/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206242926/enVicarious Surgical Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer
Priyanka wins Wayanad Lok Sabha seat by huge margin, Congress retains Nanded too
Article content The lottery begins every morning at 11. Recommended Videos About 60 people show up regularly for the 30 beds open each night at Ark Aid Street Mission on Dundas Street. The names are drawn and the lucky 30 have a warm place to stay the night. The rest, well, who knows for sure? “We have a very imperfect system,” Sarah Campbell, executive director of Ark Aid Street Mission, said. “It has been really really brutal. How do you choose who gets the warmth?” Welcome to this year’s winter response to homelessness in London, where a lottery can mean the difference between life or death. As temperatures dropped during the weekend, it appears another person without shelter or a home died, found at the entrance to the Central library on Dundas Street. London police and outreach workers confirmed the death Monday but had few other details. That brings to 67 the number of homeless Londoners of whom outreach worker Dan Oudshoorn is aware who died in 2024. “What is it like this winter? It’s appalling, it’s awful, it’s cruel the way that people are abandoned with less supports than ever,” he said. “Past winters, we had additional warming centres. Those aren’t running. Past winters we had more extra beds. Those aren’t running.” London has 396 shelter beds that generally operate at 97 to 98 per cent capacity, a city official said. The most recent count from city hall said 335 people were living without shelter, though officials added the reality is probably higher. Each winter since 2020, city hall and organizations have worked together to add more beds to help those living outside. Last year, the winter response added 120 places for people to stay warm overnight, in shelter beds and in some places on chairs where they could sit, have a coffee and get warm. This year there are officially 90, though they come with some catches. The 60 beds at Ark Aid Mission’s Cronyn-Warner Centre are for long-term use for people gaining stability, and generally aren’t available for drop-ins. They were created last winter and funded by city council through the year, but have remained full all year, Campbell said. The 30 drop-in beds at Ark Aid’s main building Dundas Street can’t remain there past Dec. 31, thanks to a new council rule that bans resting spaces on main streets in business improvement areas. It’s been difficult to find a new place for the 30 beds, partly because landlords don’t want the gathering of people outside that a drop-in centre naturally attracts, Campbell said. “No matter how big of a space we find, there will be more people who need the space than the space will provide,” she said. In the meantime, the organization has tried to find a way to allocate fairly the limited number of beds in its Dundas Street location, Campbell said. “With first come, first serve, which is how we have done it before, people were threatening each other to get in the building first, to be on the list first. It was causing violence,” she said. Having staff decide who needed a bed most put them at risk of threats and violence, and seemed just as arbitrary, Campbell said. Now, people come in during the morning and put their name on a list. “Then, we do, like, a draw system. We have the community members themselves pull the names because we don’t want to be preferential,” she said. There’s often 60 people on the list, and after that, the phone calls come in from other agencies seeking beds, Campbell said. “We get people who have acute problems, or coming with a health issue and have to get back to the hospital tomorrow for the next step of treatment and we have to keep them warm and keep track of them so they get care,” she said. Staff will hold a bed or two back for the acute cases, or simply crowd people in when things grow even more dire, Campbell said. “We try all kinds of things to make it work,” she said. The effort will have to be more robust in January, Campbell said. In December, people on social assistance get their cheques earlier and the spirit of Christmas prompts donations to non-profits, she said. But come January, both the temperatures and attention drop, Campbell said. Ark Aid is open throughout Christmas and can accept donations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 696 Dundas St. she said. “But I would suggest people also consider the long-term ways they can help. Is it sponsoring a monthly spot for people inside? Is it making a commitment to volunteer or bring in supplies regularly?” Campbell said. “But the No. 1 thing is to really listen to the policies put forward and ask, ‘Will this really help solve the problem?’ Because we need housing. What is going to have an impact so people can access affordable housing?” Everybody points fingers about the homeless crisis, Oudshoorn said. “But the fact of the matter is, if there was a political will to address this more adequately, or in a way that was, like, genuinely honouring of the sacredness of each human life, that way could be found,” he said. rrichmond@postmedia.com
Jeopardy fans are all thinking the same thing about Pop Culture host Colin Jost
Former Boise State coach Chris Petersen still gets asked about the Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma on the first day of 2007. That game had everything. Underdog Boise State took a 28-10 lead over one of college football's blue bloods that was followed by a 25-point Sooners run capped by what could have been a back-breaking interception return for a touchdown with 1:02 left. Then the Broncos used three trick plays that remain sensations to not only force overtime but win 43-42. And then there was the marriage proposal by Boise State running back Ian Johnson — shortly after scoring the winning two-point play — to cheerleader Chrissy Popadics that was accepted on national TV. That game put Broncos football on the national map for most fans, but looking back 18 years later, Petersen sees it differently. “Everybody wants to talk about that Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game, which is great how it all worked out and all those things,” Petersen said. “But we go back to play TCU (three years later) again on the big stage. It's not as flashy a game, but to me, that was an even better win.” Going back to the Fiesta Bowl and winning, Petersen reasoned, showed the Broncos weren't a splash soon to fade away, that there was something longer lasting and more substantive happening on the famed blue turf. The winning has continued with few interruptions. No. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for another trip to the Fiesta Bowl, this time in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year's Eve. That success has continued through a series of coaches, though with a lot more of a common thread than readily apparent. Dirk Koetter was hired from Oregon, where Petersen was the wide receivers coach. Not only did Koetter bring Petersen with him from Oregon, Petersen introduced him to Dan Hawkins, who also was hired for the staff. So the transition from Koetter to Hawkins to Petersen ensured at least some level of consistency. Koetter and Hawkins engineered double-digit victory seasons five times over a six-year span that led to power-conference jobs. Koetter went to Arizona State after three seasons and Hawkins to Colorado after five. Then when Petersen became the coach after the 2005 season, he led Boise State to double-digit wins his first seven seasons and made bowls all eight years. He resisted the temptation to leave for a power-conference program until Washington lured him away toward the end of the 2013 season. Then former Boise State quarterback and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin took over and posted five double-digit victory seasons over his first six years. After going 5-2 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he left for Auburn. “They just needed consistency of leadership,” said Koetter, who is back as Boise State's offensive coordinator. “This program had always won at the junior-college level, the Division II level, the I-AA (now FCS) level.” But Koetter referred to “an unfortunate chain of events” that made Boise State a reclamation project when he took over in 1998. Coach Pokey Allen led Boise State to the Division I-AA national championship game in 1994, but was diagnosed with cancer two days later. He died on Dec. 30, 1996, at 53. Allen coached the final two games that season, Boise State's first in Division I-A (now FBS). Houston Nutt became the coach in 1997, went 4-7 and headed to Arkansas. Then Koetter took over. “One coach dies and the other wasn't the right fit for this program,” Koetter said. “Was a really good coach, did a lot of good things, but just wasn't a good fit for here.” But because of Boise State's success at the lower levels, Koetter said the program was set up for success. “As Boise State has risen up the conference food chain, they’ve pretty much always been at the top from a player talent standpoint,” Koetter said. “So it was fairly clear if we got things headed in the right direction and did a good job recruiting, we would be able to win within our conference for sure.” Success didn't take long. He went 6-5 in 1998 and then won 10 games each of the following two seasons. Hawkins built on that winning and Petersen took it to another level. But there is one season, really one game, no really one half that still bugs Petersen. He thought his best team was in 2010, one that entered that late-November game at Nevada ranked No. 3 and had a legitimate chance to play for the national championship. The Colin Kaepernick-led Wolf Pack won 34-31. “I think the best team that I might've been a part of as the head coach was the team that lost one game to Nevada,” Petersen said. "That team, to me, played one poor half of football on offense the entire season. We were winning by a bunch at half (24-7) and we came out and did nothing on offense in the second half and still had a chance to win. “That team would've done some damage.” There aren't any what-ifs with this season's Boise State team. The Broncos are in the field of the first 12-team playoff, representing the Group of Five as its highest-ranked conference champion. That got Boise State a bye into the quarterfinals. Spencer Danielson has restored the championship-level play after taking over as the interim coach late last season during a rare downturn that led to Andy Avalos' dismissal . Danielson received the job full time after leading Boise State to the Mountain West championship . Now the Broncos are 12-1 with their only defeat to top-ranked and No. 1 seed Oregon on a last-second field goal . Running back Ashton Jeanty also was the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy . “Boise State has been built on the backs of years and years of success way before I got here,” Danielson said. "So even this season is not because of me. It’s because the group of young men wanted to leave a legacy, be different. We haven’t been to the Fiesta Bowl in a decade. They said in January, ‘We’re going to get that done.’ They went to work.” As was the case with Danielson, Petersen and Koetter said attracting top talent is the primary reason Boise State has succeeded all these years. Winning, obviously, is the driving force, and with more entry points to the playoffs, the Broncos could make opportunities to keep returning to the postseason a selling point. But there's also something about the blue carpet. Petersen said he didn't get what it was about when he arrived as an assistant coach, and there was some talk about replacing it with more conventional green grass. A poll in the Idaho Statesman was completely against that idea, and Petersen has come to appreciate what that field means to the program. “It's a cumulative period of time where young kids see big-time games when they're in seventh and eighth and ninth and 10th grade and go, ‘Oh, I know that blue turf. I want to go there,’” Petersen said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football